Carburetor drain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11408382-B2
Application number	US-202117395001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2021
Priority date	Mar 27, 2017
Publication date	Aug 9, 2022
Grant date	Aug 9, 2022

Abstract

A carburetor includes a carburetor bowl, a fuel supply pipe, a fuel drain pipe, and a valve. The carburetor bowl is configured to store fuel and provide the fuel to an air passage. The fuel supply pipe is connected a fuel tank and the carburetor bowl. The fuel drain pipe is connected to the carburetor bowl and the fuel supply line. The valve for the fuel drain pipe is configured to open and close in response to an orientation of the carburetor.

First claim

We claim:

1. An engine comprising:
a carburetor;
a sensor configured to generate sensor data describing an orientation of the engine; and
a controller configured to generate an enable command to drain fuel from the carburetor in response to the sensor data describing the orientation of the engine.

2. The engine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a valve responsive to the enable command to open a fuel path.

3. The engine of claim 2 , wherein the fuel path connects the carburetor to a fuel tank of the engine.

4. The engine of claim 2 , wherein the fuel path connects the carburetor to a fuel supply line of the engine.

5. The engine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pump responsive to the enable command to drain the carburetor.

6. The engine of claim 5 , further comprising:
a recoil, wherein the pump is actuatable by the recoil.

7. The engine of claim 6 , further comprising:
a follow arm configured to contact at least one protrusion of the recoil.

8. The engine of claim 7 , further comprising:
a spring in the pump to receive and store a force from the follow arm.

9. The engine of claim 8 , further comprising:
a diaphragm connected to the spring, wherein the spring is biased to push the diaphragm to move fuel out of the pump.

10. The engine of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a magnetic sensor.

11. The engine of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a gravity sensor.

12. A lawnmower comprising:
a plurality of wheels configured to be placed in a storage orientation and a horizontal orientation;
a carburetor;
a fuel supply line connected a fuel tank and the carburetor; and
a fuel drain line connected to the carburetor and the fuel supply line, wherein fuel drain line drains the carburetor to the fuel supply line or the fuel tank when the plurality of wheels are placed in the storage orientation.

13. The lawnmower of claim 12 , further comprising:
a pump configured to drain the carburetor through the fuel drain line.

14. The lawnmower of claim 13 , further comprising:
a recoil, wherein the pump is actuatable by the recoil; and
a follow arm configured to contact at least one protrusion of the recoil.

15. The lawnmower of claim 14 , further comprising:
a spring in the pump to receive and store a force from the follow arm; and
a diaphragm connected to the spring, wherein the spring is biased to push the diaphragm to move fuel out of the pump.

16. The lawnmower of claim 12 , further comprising:
a valve configured to open and close the fuel drain line.

17. The lawnmower of claim 12 , wherein in the storage orientation, at least two of the plurality of wheels are vertically positioned.

18. The lawnmower of claim 12 , further comprising:
a sensor configured sensor data describing an orientation of the lawnmower; and
a controller configured to generate an enable command to drain fuel from the carburetor in response to the sensor data describing the orientation of the lawnmower.

19. A method for draining a carburetor of an engine comprising:
generating, by a sensor, sensor data describing an orientation of the engine; and
generating, by a controller, an enable command to drain fuel from the carburetor in response to the sensor data describing the orientation of the engine.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
operating a valve, in response to the enable command, to open a path.

21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
operating a pump, in response to the enable command, to drain the carburetor.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Rotter Terrence
• Baumann Todd
• Stenz Gary

Classifications

• F02M19/00 Primary

  Details, component parts, or accessories of carburettors, not provided for in, or of interest apart from, the apparatus of groups F02M1/00 - F02M17/00 · CPC title

• F02M37/0052 Primary

  Details on the fuel return circuit; Arrangement of pressure regulators · CPC title

• F02M37/046

  Arrangements for driving diaphragm-type pumps · CPC title

• A01D34/001

  Accessories not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• F02M5/02

  with provisions to meet variations in carburettor position, e.g. upside-down position in aircraft · CPC title